DIFFERENTIAL EXPRESSION OF GUT MIRNAS IN IDIOPATHIC PARKINSON’S DISEASE.
- Anna A. Kurz, Germany
Abstract
Aims
The involvement of the enteric nervous system in idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (PD) has long been established but underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms have not yet been fully understood. Here, we investigated changes in the expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) in routine colonic biopsies from patients with PD to evaluate their potential as diagnostic biomarkers and gain further insight into the pathophysiology underlying PD.
Methods
Patients with PD (n=13) and healthy controls (n=17) undergoing routine colonoscopy for cancer screening were prospectively recruited and colonic biopsies were obtained. Total RNA was extracted from the biopsy material and expression of miRNAs was quantified by Ilumina High-Throughput-Sequencing.
Results
The miRNA hsa-miR-486-5p was significantly enriched in the submucosa of colonic biopsies from PD patients compared to healthy controls. Expression levels correlated with age and disease severity measured by the UPDRS and Hoehn & Yahr scale. miRNA gene target analysis identified 301 gene targets that are affected by miR-486-5p. A follow-up associated target identification and pathway enrichment analysis further determined their role in distinct biological processes in the enteric nervous system (ENS).
Conclusions
In this work we demonstrate an enrichment of submucosal miR-486-5p in colonic biopsies from PD patients compared to healthy controls. The expression levels of miR-486-5p correlated with age and disease severity as measured by the UPDRS-III. In summary, our results will support the investigation of colonic miRNAs as a disease biomarker in PD.